Shikarpuri Sindhi – Historic Prespective

It will only be necessary to name the towns at which the Shikarpoor merchants have agents to judge of the unlimited influence which they can command.’

There followed an enumeration of localities, of which the western most was Astrakhan and the eastern most Calcutta, where Shikarpuri merchants had their agents.

It was an impressive list, and the total area covered was vast, including Masqat inArabia, all the important towns of Afghanistan, some towns in Persia,some of the major towns of India, the three principal towns in the Uzbekkhanates of Central Asia, Bukhara, Samarkand and Kokand, as well as Yarkand in Sinkiang.

In all these places a bill could be negotiated, and that with most of them there was a direct trade.